Letters on Religion

Published: Sunday, July 17, 2005 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, July 17, 2005 at 12:00 a.m.

To The Editor: I should like to add a few observations to the interesting Times-News article, "PETA's Pulpit" of July 9 concerning vegetarianism and religious belief.

The article reminded me of the work of the Rev. George Malkmus, a Shelby Baptist minister who created the "Hallelujah Diet."

In his book, Why Christians Get Sick, Pastor Malkmus pointed out that throughout the scriptures, in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, there can be found references to the proper diet for humankind.

In fact, Genesis 1:29-30 states that God instructed mankind to eat of the plants, herbs and fruits yielding seeds, stating that for them this will be their sustenance.

The terminology "meat" was translated from the Greek language meaning food, nourishment or sustenance.

Biblical researchers may wish to check out the actual words in Greek to show that the word "meat" was loosely used, not meant to imply flesh food as we have interpreted it.

For references on scriptural passages relating to vegetarianism in the Bible one can find them in the following: Why Kill for Food by Geoffrey Rudd, Food for the Gods by Rynn Berry and Diet for Transcendence by Steven Rosen.

Fred R. Chaffee

Hendersonville

Christ's invitation was all-encompassing

To The Editor: I am a Christian -- a fundamentalist Christian. And I have a question for my fellow Christians: Didn't Christ call on us to follow him? Aren't we supposed to emulate him?

He attracted followers by his behavior. They elected to join him -- or sadly turned away because to follow would require too much self-sacrifice. He never coerced. He did not harangue crowds seeking to learn nor turned them away hungry. He did not shout vicious epithets at others nor wear labels proclaiming his piety.

He reproved only his own disciples. He never pointed fingers nor called names -- except when he found his co-religionists behaving in ways contrary to their own laws regarding greed and theft.

Christ welcomed all! Shouldn't those who call themselves by his name emulate him?

<p class="bold allcaps">Greek word meant food, not flesh</p>
<p>To The Editor: I should like to add a few observations to the interesting Times-News article, "PETA's Pulpit" of July 9 concerning vegetarianism and religious belief.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The article reminded me of the work of the Rev. George Malkmus, a Shelby Baptist minister who created the "Hallelujah Diet."</p><p>In his book, Why Christians Get Sick, Pastor Malkmus pointed out that throughout the scriptures, in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, there can be found references to the proper diet for humankind.</p><p>In fact, Genesis 1:29-30 states that God instructed mankind to eat of the plants, herbs and fruits yielding seeds, stating that for them this will be their sustenance.</p><p>The terminology "meat" was translated from the Greek language meaning food, nourishment or sustenance.</p><p>Biblical researchers may wish to check out the actual words in Greek to show that the word "meat" was loosely used, not meant to imply flesh food as we have interpreted it.</p><p>For references on scriptural passages relating to vegetarianism in the Bible one can find them in the following: Why Kill for Food by Geoffrey Rudd, Food for the Gods by Rynn Berry and Diet for Transcendence by Steven Rosen.</p><p>Fred R. Chaffee</p><p>Hendersonville</p><p>Christ's invitation was all-encompassing</p><p>To The Editor: I am a Christian -- a fundamentalist Christian. And I have a question for my fellow Christians: Didn't Christ call on us to follow him? Aren't we supposed to emulate him?</p><p>He attracted followers by his behavior. They elected to join him -- or sadly turned away because to follow would require too much self-sacrifice. He never coerced. He did not harangue crowds seeking to learn nor turned them away hungry. He did not shout vicious epithets at others nor wear labels proclaiming his piety.</p><p>He reproved only his own disciples. He never pointed fingers nor called names -- except when he found his co-religionists behaving in ways contrary to their own laws regarding greed and theft.</p><p>Christ welcomed all! Shouldn't those who call themselves by his name emulate him?</p><p>Ellen L. Lensing</p><p>Pisgah Forest</p>